Welcome to Hanna Banana's California Clown School!
NOW classes are held at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada, the perfect venue to learn clown skills and become a clown.
Learn from Hanna Banana, the Queen of Hearts at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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She is known for her loving kindness. People come from all over the world to be taught by her. In the process of developing your clown persona, you will find your true self.

The art of clowning has existed for thousands of years. Throughout history most cultures have had clowns. In tribal culture clowns played an important role in the social and religious life of the tribe. Clowns who performed as court jesters were given great freedom of speech, and through their humor could affect policy. Although, the modern clown plays a different role in our society it is still a valued figure. Like the clowns before them, today's performers still say, do and perform things that amaze, amuse and delight us.

Clowns work at children's parties, circuses, corporate functions, on television shows, as buskers, and at festivals. They are sometimes amateurs, who are self-taught, or learned to tie balloon animals and some simple magic tricks from a clown convention. Some, on the other hand, are serious about clowning, and treat it as a respected and historically important art form and have taken courses at a clown school or classes at a college or colleges which teach clowning. For instance, California Clown School teaches classes at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, NV.

People who choose to work as clowns create a character for themselves, and perform in full costume and makeup under that persona. Clowns can be tramps, who are often frustrated and unhappy, Auguste clowns who wear simple makeup are often the most ridiculous and unintelligent, and the classic clown, who is much cleverer than the clowning counterparts. Each type of clown will have tricks, skits, and techniques relevant to their own tradition, however, there is nothing to say that a clown cannot change the rules if it will get a good laugh.

Clowns do more than just perform. When they work with circuses, they are also involved in audience participation, skits and work with other performers. When they work independently, clowns are responsible for building up client bases, and advertising themselves in creative ways in order to drum up new business. Clowns can also be members of agency or associations, and find work and training courses though these means. Circus Circus in Las Vegas has employed clowns for many years to entertain the children that visit the Midway there.

Clowning is never easy. Clowns are there to entertain, and if the crowd does not leave feeling better about themselves and their world, then the clown has failed to do a good job. The clowns' role is to gently make fun of themselves and the audience, to create a lighter side to any situation. They may work in cancer wards, retirement centers, and circuses, bringing light and laughter to those who need it most. Come to Circus Circus Las Vegas and come to clown school there!
 

 Typical Tasks
  • Practice old routines
  • Work alone or with colleagues to design new routines
  • Study new tricks, moves, techniques
  • Routine equipment maintenance
  • Pack, unpack, and set up equipment
  • Perform routines
  • Advertise services
  • The typical day for a clown will involve a little bit of everything. Clown work can be dangerous. The combination of long, hard hours with little sleep, travel, and juggling fire, and other props used by clowns mean that they must be  constantly alert. Practice and performing will dominate many days. Along with the actual performance, there is exercise, equipment maintenance and writing and practicing new routines. Many clowns take courses from a clown school or attend classes at a college to improve their skills as well. However, there are also the routine parts of the job, like meeting with management, costume fitters and choreographers. Many days will be spent traveling around the city, country or even the world to performances and jobs. Clowns who work outside a circus environment will be required to take out ads, meet with agents, and build a client base from which to establish a career. Most clowns are lucky enough to meet many different people, from another clown to excited fans.
 Interests and Skills
What does it take to be a clown? First of all, clowns love performing and clowns like to have fun. They are natural performers with the ability to make people happy, and they thrive on the thrill of the crowd. Clowns are creative, adapt easily to new situations, and have good hand-eye coordination and tons of self-confidence. A good sense of comic timing, and the ability to interact with children of all ages are two essential skills for clowns. They must be healthy and strong, with good concentration and stamina. Clowns need to be intuitive, and able to read and react to an audience's mood. Those that work as solo performers or outside of the circus need to manage themselves, so good business sense is also important.

 
 Workplaces, Employers and Industries
  • A clown can work full- or part-time. Full-time clowns are often employed by circuses, traveling with the show from town to town, moving every few weeks. They perform their acts in tents, or in arenas, community halls and auditoriums.
  • Part-time clowns, as well as some full-time clowns, make their living by performing their acts at children's parties, adult fundraisers, hotels and resorts. They may work in clown arts training camps and clown schools, as well. Some clowns work in ensembles, while others perform alone. Come see the clowns at Circus Circus and learn to be a clown yourself!
 Long Term Career Potential
Clowns can become full time clowns, and even join a circus. They can go on to become administrative staff for the circus, or they may become instructors at clown schools and camps. They can take their show on the road, to busker and clown festivals, and to television. They may become actors, stunt doubles or comedians. They may become talent scouts and agents, or get into party and wedding planning, or child care and education. They can also become a teacher at a clown school or instructors of courses at a college or colleges in their area that teach clowning. California Clown School offers classes for clowns and related business. It's a great career for in-home based businesses.
 

 
 Educational Paths
People interested in clowning may want to consider taking a course in clown techniques. Courses are offered with a number of institutions, ranging from a weekend course at a community center to a three-year diploma program in circus arts. Clowning courses cover everything from juggling to makeup. Extra courses in acrobatics, acting, child psychology and business are also useful to clowns. Many clown schools offer courses in balloon twisting, face painting both yourself and on children, magic tricks, costuming and many other clowning skills. College also offers classes in business skills such as advertising, marketing, bookkeeping and other useful classes for those interested in a clowning profession.

California Clown School now holds its classes at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada. Come join us there for training at Circus Circus. Add fun to your life, attend Clown School!